Daybreak
by Willowsplash
Summary: This is the ordinary, heart-wrenching, life of Jayberry. (Prequel to Their Real Father)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Jaypaw! Wake up!" a voice called. It was Nightpaw. I'd always had a crush on him. His luscious, black fur, his brilliant green eyes, the way he was always alert and ready to dive into battle for the Clan. My friend, Dreampaw, nudged me. I opened my eyes.

"W-what?" I muttered.

"Training!" Nightpaw called. He was outside the den. I stood and shook the scraps of moss from my pelt. He poked his head inside.

"Come _on,_ slowpoke!" he teased, "Winterlily and Pigeonwing want us to meet them in the battle training clearing." I nodded and quickly groomed my silver pelt. I pushed out into the clearing where Strongpaw and his mentor, Moonshine, were, most likely, fighting over something as they prepared to go on a patrol. Robinsong and her apprentice, Grasspaw, joined the pair and they headed out.

I waited for a few moments and then followed them into the forest. Nightpaw was waiting beside the bramble tunnel.

"About time. I wouldn't be surprised if Winterlily and Pigeonwing fell asleep already!" He meowed. I purred.

"I'll bet you anything Pigeonwing already has," I meowed. He laughed and we set off for the training hollow. Our mentors were sharing tongues in the center of the clearing while they waited.

"About time," Pigeonwing scolded us.

"It's my fault. Nightpaw was waiting for me," I meowed. Nightpaw brushed his fur against mine in thanks.

"It's alright," Winterlily meowed. "We'll just go over a few things that we learned last time and then we'll have a mock fight." Winterlily pulled Jaypaw over to the side and they began to practice, reviewing moves from earlier in the week, and learning new, more complicated ones. After she had them all mastered, Winterlily padded over to Pigeonwing.

"Alright. Jaypaw and Nightpaw. Mock fight," Winterlily meowed. Nightpaw crouched on the other side of the clearing while I crouched on ours. Our mentors were sitting on the edge, watching us fight.

"Ready. Set. Go!" Winterlily meowed. Nightpaw leapt straight for me. He was bigger than me, so I would have to use my brain and not my strength. I darted out of his path and he crashed straight into the ground. I jumped atop of him and raked my paws down his back.

"Good thinking, Jaypaw," Pigeonwing meowed. "Nightpaw. You can't rely on speed when facing a smaller cat. Chances are they are faster than you. Had you been fighting with a larger cat than you, that move probably would have worked. But Jaypaw is more agile, yet you are stronger. So once she is here, you can buck her off and pin her."

"Resume." Even though I knew what was coming, Nightpaw still bucked me off his back before I could jump off. He pinned me, his paws on either side of my shoulders. I mustered all my strength and rolled to the right, knocking his legs out from under him. We continued to fight like this until Sunhigh.

"That's enough, you two. Well done to both of you. Go and get some food and rest," Winterlily meowed.

"Nightpaw, we're heading out of the evening border patrol, so be ready," Pigeonwing added. Nightpaw nodded to his mentor and we headed back to camp together.

"I loved that move where you were on my back and you were swatting at my nose!" Nightpaw purred, remembering the silly move.

"That was just a joke. I would never use that in a _real_ fight!" Jaypaw meowed. "But I loved when you feinted defeat and then knocked me _flying!_ Did you see how high I went?"

He purred. We padded into camp and he grabbed a mouse from the fresh-kill pile. I grabbed a cardinal and joined him, Strongpaw, Grasspaw, and Hollypaw.

"How was training?" Grasspaw meowed.

"It was good. Jaypaw's a really good fighter!" Nightpaw meowed.

"Not as good as Nightpaw," I protested, embarrassed.

"So, Strongpaw, how was your patrol?" Hollypaw meowed. Was I the only cat that noticed how moony-eyed she was over Strongpaw? He was nothing but a big bully. Even if he _was_ handsome.

Strongpaw shrugged casually. "The usual. Moonshine was being really bossy and mean, like always." Hollypaw nodded.

"Yeah. I never really liked him," she agreed.

"Are you kidding me? Moonshine's so nice!" I meowed. Grasspaw meowed in agreement. We all looked to Nightpaw for his opinion. He smiled and shook his head.

"Oh no. Don't drag _me_ into this," he meowed. We were interrupted by a yowl.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here at Highrock for a Clan meeting!" Crescentstar yowled. We all looked at each other in confusion and gathered in the center of camp.

"Today, two apprentices are to become warriors. Grasspaw gasped and looked around frantically for her sister, who was being groomed by their mother. She rushed over and bounced excitedly around her mother. Strongpaw sighed.

"I wish I could be a warrior," he meowed. Hollypaw murmured in agreement.

"Dreampaw and Grasspaw, please come forward," Crescentstar meowed. The two apprentices bounced towards our leader, their eyes shining. Crescentstar raised her head to the sky.

"StarClan, I call upon you to look down on these apprentices. They have worked hard to train and follow your noble code. Dreampaw, you will be known as Dreamshine, for your ability to make all cats around you shine with happiness. Grasspaw, you will be known as Grassclaw, for your natural ability to fight for your Clan and serve them fearlessly, like a sharpened claw," she meowed. She lowered her head and rested her muzzled on their heads in turn, while they gave her a swift, grateful lick on the shoulder.

"Dreamshine! Grassclaw! Dreamshine! Grassclaw!" the Clan yowled. Crescentstar raised her tail for silence.

"We have one more ceremony to perform today. Though the tragic deaths of Lilywaters and her littermates was devastating, Fernkit is ready to be apprenticed. Ironfeather. You have not had an apprentice yet. Fernpaw will be a good fit for you. Teach her everything you know about the warrior code and fulfilling it," she meowed. The white tom nodded solemnly and touched noses with Fernpaw.

"You are dismissed." Nightpaw and I crowded around Dreamshine and Grassclaw to congratulate them. They nodded in thanks since they weren't supposed to talk for their silent vigil. They took up their positions to guard the camp while the rest of us milled around. The sun deepened in color.

"Nightpaw!" Pigeonwing called. He looked at me apologetically.

"Sorry, Jaypaw. Evening patrol," he meowed. I shrugged.

"Nah, it's fine. See you," I meowed. He nodded and bounded off to join the patrol just as they were heading into the forest.

" _Someone's_ moony-eyed over Nightpaw," a voice meowed playfully. I spun to glare at Hollypaw.

"Oh yeah, 'cause you're not obsessed with Strongpaw," I hissed. I was very defensive when it came to me and Nightpaw. She blushed and looked away.

"So yeah. Don't be talking," I muttered, stalking off to the den. I know I overreacted. I tend to do that. But if Nightpaw ever knew I liked him, it might cause our whole relationship to crumble. I looked around at the toms I'd be stuck with and shuddered.

I curled up in my nest and slept.

I scarfed down my mouse and stood. I heard a nearby groan. Strongpaw and Hollypaw were eating and probably complaining.

"Ever since she became a warrior, Dreamshine's been acting like she's the boss of me!" he growled. Hollypaw shook her head.

"Yeah, I know! She's so bossy!" she meowed. I rolled my eyes and stalked over to them.

"That's because she _is_ the boss of you. She's a warrior and _you're_ apprentices, or did you forget that? I know _you_ did, Strongpaw, but Hollypaw shouldn't have. She's always acting like _your_ apprentice," I meowed hotly. Strongpaw narrowed his eyes and stood.

"I know I'm an apprentice. Just because she's your friend doesn't mean she's perfect," he growled. Hollypaw stood too, her fur lightly brushing Strongpaw's. He whirled and stormed away.

"Don't do that, Jaypaw. I hate seeing him angry," she meowed. Then she hurried after him. I growled. Hollypaw was such a good cat. But she wasted all her time on _that_ lazy excuse for an apprentice! She turned and went off to search for Strongpaw.

Strongpaw padded over once more.

"I couldn't say this in front of her, but just for the record, Nightpaw will _never_ love you. He only has eyes for Hollypaw. And Hollypaw only has eyes for me. It'll never work, Dungpaw," he growled. Then he turned and met Hollypaw and they set off into the forest together.

Nightpaw padded over.

"You okay?" he meowed.

"I'm fine," I lied. But in truth, I felt hollow, for I knew what Strongpaw had said was true.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

This was it. My warrior ceremony! Nightstone, Strongheart, and Hollyfeather had become warriors two moons ago. It was time for us to share a den once more!

 _Good,_ I thought. _I was getting tired of Fernpaw, Ferretpaw, and Snakepaw anyways._ I was trying my best not to bounce in ecstasy. My mother and father, Streamshine and Darkclaw, sat beside me. Their fur was fluffed out with pride.

"Today, I call upon StarClan to look down on this apprentice," Crescentstar meowed after the noise had died down and I'd joined her in front of the Clan.

"She has worked very hard to follow, fulfill, and learn the way of your noble code. From this day on, Jaypaw, you will be known as Jayberry, as your passion for this Clan and will to protect it is very colorful," she meowed.

"Jayberry! Jayberry!" the Clan yowled. My fur fluffed with excitement, joy, and pride as I looked down upon my Clanmates. It flattened as I realized that one cat in particular was not among them.

I stretched my tired, sore legs. Sitting out all night in silence really did a number on your muscles.

"Hey, Jayberry! I heard about your warrior ceremony! Sorry I couldn't be there," Nightstone meowed, bounding up to her. I stared at him bitterly.

"What were you doing?" I asked. His ears bent in embarrassment.

"I was-um- out hunting. With Hollyfeather," he meowed quietly. I snorted.

"Of course," I muttered, padding off to the warriors' den.

"What?" he meowed, hurrying after me. We ducked into the den.

"Oh! My nest's here," he meowed, leading me to the back. I tried to settle down into the one next to it, but he blocked my path with his tail.

"That's Hollyfeather's," he meowed. I tried the one diagonal from his.

"Strongheart's."

"Dreamshine."

"Grassclaw." I ended up taking the nest next to Grassclaw's, which was next to Dreamshine's, which was next to Strongheart's, which was next to Nightstone.

"I'm going out on patrol," he meowed.

"Oh. With who?" I meowed.

"I don't know. Robinsong, Owlglaze, Hollyfeather, and Strongheart, I think," he meowed.

"Mind if I tag along?"

"Sorry, it's all full. Owlglaze is bringing Ferretpaw," he meowed. I ducked my head and wrapped my tail over my nose. He backed out of the den and went off- probably to find Hollyfeather. I tried to sleep away my problems, but even then, they showed up.

"Nightstone?" I meowed, staring at the tom in front of me. He was playing with two kits. "Whose are those?" He purred.

"Why, they're yours, my love!" he meowed. Joy surged through me as I advanced towards him, wanting a closer look at my kits. But a black blur surpassed me and reached them first. It was Hollyfeather. She nudged the kits and nuzzled Nightstone. Their tail twined and they gazed down at the kits happily.

I sighed and turned away. Of course. They weren't mine. They would never be mine.

 **Sorry for it being so short! Please review any suggestions! I was maybe thinking she would get tricked into loving Strongheart (after he gets exiled (read Their Real Father)). Tell me what your think; I love reading your comments!**


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